Serving Their Country
by babyphd
Summary: Problems follow a trip to visit the troops in Iraq.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"I'm going. Ron has approved the trip and I need to see the men and women serving our country. You know that every precaution will be taken. And Ron will not let me out of his sight for even a second."

"Jed, you're going for the right reason, but it's so dangerous."

"I know that, Abbey. But what do you think is happening every day in the war? These kids are basically putting their lives on the line every day. I need to go and thank them for their efforts. Nobody will know I'm there. There will be a press blackout until we leave the airspace. Besides, this will let the public know in a visual way how much I support what these soldiers are doing."

"But Jed, this is a war zone. You could get injured or even killed. Think of your family. Think of me. Please, Jed. I understand the political aspect of this, but I'm focused on the personal."

Jed walked to Abbey and gave her a hug. "Honey, I understand that you're afraid. But it's something that I must do. A Commander in Chief has to support his troops and this is a way I can do that. I'll be in and out and be home in time for our anniversary next week."

"Jed, is there anything I can say to change your mind?"

"No."

"Well, I'll stop arguing. You always were hard-headed." Abbey walked over to him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"You married me for that trait, right?"

"Yeah, right."

Abbey had one more thing to say. "Promise you'll come back?"

"Of course, Sweet Knees. Don't I always?"

Jed left on Air Force One two days later. The public trip had him going to Italy, Greece and Israel. But in reality, one day had been built into the schedule for him to fly into Baghdad, meet some of the troops, and get back to Israel without the press realizing what was really happening. Toby and CJ were going with him. The Iraqi Prime Minister had been informed to expect an important visitor that day. But he wasn't told who this visitor was going to be.

Flying into Baghdad International Airport in a smaller, unmarked plane, Jed, CJ and Toby had time to contemplate the importance of the President's visit. The whole world would sit up and recognize the importance of such a visitor to the newly democratic country.

After the elections, the Assembly was attempting to craft the first constitution for the country in over fifty years. With the President of the United States visiting, it would lend credence to the task ahead and encourage the Assembly to continue their work.

Jed recognized such a once in a lifetime opportunity and wanted to demonstrate the support of the United States in such a democratic process. So he chose this particular week to make a surprise visit.

After landing, the Presidential party was greeted in the main airport by the chief American Administrator, the Iraqi Prime Minister, and then set out to visit some troops at two locations in Baghdad.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Don't you think CJ, that this was just totally successful?" Jed was beaming with pride at the success of the short trip.

"Yes, sir." CJ was in total agreement with the President's opinion.

The group had been greeted with cheers from the soldiers they had met. And the President had taken an opportunity to make a recorded message that would be shown to other troops in the country.

Jed was elated that it had gone so well. CJ and Toby both knew that once the press was told, the good press would far outweigh any problems about keeping it a secret.

They were traveling back to the airport in an unmarked military helicopter. That was to keep his visit under wraps.

"I have lock on."

Jed turned to the pilot. "What does that mean?"

"Sir, that means we have a missile that has locked on to our position."

The pilots tried evasive maneuvers, but couldn't shake the missile.

Within seconds, there was a major explosion and the helicopter plummeted toward earth.

"Brace for impact." Those were the final words from the co-pilot.

The traveling party braced for impact. The helicopter hit the ground and flipped several times. Anyone that was not belted in was thrown away from the impact area itself. Then the helicopter burst into flames.

The worst case scenario had just occurred.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The back-up helicopter sat down and the occupants raced to the debris field. Soldiers and Secret Service agents scrambled to locate any survivors. The fire was put out by the soldiers so the Service could quickly reach the Presidential party.

Toby was the first one found. As the helicopter reached the ground he had been thrown about fifty yards from the crash scene. Although unconscious, the agent checking him didn't find any broken bones. He would probably live.

Shortly, another agent came across CJ. She was regaining consciousness, but her right leg was twisted at an odd angle.

"Ms. Cregg, are you okay?"

Slowly, CJ realized that someone was talking to her. "Yeah, I think so. My leg hurts really bad."

"Just stay where you are. You have a broken leg and we need to get a splint on that as soon as we can."

"Okay. What happened?"

"The helicopter you were in was hit with a shoulder-fired missile and it crashed."

CJ nodded, then remembered someone else who was with her.

"The President?"

"We're still looking for him. Just stay where you are and we'll get to you in just a few minutes."

CJ asked about the other person. "Toby, is he…."

"Mr. Ziegler is fine. He's still unconscious, but we can't find any other injuries. He was very lucky."

"Okay." All CJ could do was to stay where she was and look around. And know that the President was somewhere in that mess.

Back at the White House, Leo was just arriving. It was a few minutes after 6, his normal time.

"Mr. McGarry, there's a problem with the President."

He looked up to see the acting head of the Presidential detail standing in front of him.

"What do you mean, a problem?"

Agent Robert Hands took a deep breath. He only wished that Ron was here instead.

"There's been a helicopter crash in Iraq. The President's helicopter was hit by a ground-fired missile on the way back to the airport. We don't have any word yet on the conditions of those onboard. We're still working on getting more details.

"A missile? How the hell did that happen? It was supposed to be a secret visit."

"Yes, sir. To the best of my knowledge it had been kept a secret." Robert placed his hand up to his ear. "Hold on, I'm getting more information."

Robert paused and Leo held his breath but his mind was racing. 'This really is not happening, is it? It can't be happening.'

"The agents on the scene report that Mr. Ziegler has been located. He's unconscious but doesn't seem to be injured. Also, Ms. Cregg has a broken leg, but no other major injuries."

"The President? Have they found the President?"

"Not yet."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Leo gathered the remainder of his staff and told them was going on.

Then he called the Residence.

A sleepy Abbey answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Abbey? Sorry to wake you. Can I come up?"

"What's going on Leo? It's 6:30 in the morning."

"Abbey, I need to tell you something and I've got to do it person. It's Jed." By the tone of Leo's voice she knew it was not good news.

"What is it Leo? Tell me now."

"No, I'll be right up."

It only took Leo a few minutes to get to the Residence.

Abbey was just coming out of the bathroom when he knocked.

"Come in."

Leo entered.

"What's happened, Leo? Is Jed okay?" Abbey was very anxious about any news that would bring Leo to the Residence so early.

"Abbey, the President's helicopter was on its way back to the Baghdad airport when it was hit by a shoulder-fired missile and crashed."

Abbey sat down hard on the edge of the bed. Her blank stare was almost too much for Leo to bear. Softly, she spoke, "Any survivors?"

"CJ and Toby have been found and with the exception of relatively minor injuries, they should be okay. The pilots were killed."

"Jed. I want to know about Jed."

"Abbey, as of a few minutes ago, they've been unable to locate him or Ron. They're still looking."

Abbey started to cry. "He's okay. Leo, he's okay. I feel it. He said he would be coming back."

"Abbey…" The phone rang and cut him off.

"Mrs. Bartlet, this is Agent Hands. Is Mr. McGarry there?"

"Yes." Abbey handed the phone over to Leo.

"Yeah?"

While he was talking Abbey tried to read Leo's expression, but it was just as plain as ever.

"Thanks. I'll be right down."

"Leo, any news about Jed?"

"Yes. The Service has found him and Ron. Both are seriously injured and have been taken to a triage center nearby. They're critical, Abbey. That's all I know. The Service will keep me informed and I'll let you know. You might want to call the girls. This will be breaking news very soon, if it's not already."

"Please, Leo. Let me know the minute you know anything."

"I promise Abbey. I promise." Leo left to return to the West Wing.

She said to herself, "Damn you Jed! You promised to come back. You promised."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Back in Baghdad, the medical teams scrambled to take care of the Presidential party.

The first priority was to assess the President's injuries and stabilize them. Two military doctors did a quick assessment.

Vital signs were weak. His airway was open so an oxygen mask was placed on his face. An IV line was started and monitor leads were placed on his chest. Quick x-rays were taken of his chest, his pelvis, and his legs.

While the doctors were waiting on the x-rays to be developed, they turned to assess his visible injuries. The President was bleeding from several cuts on his head. His left ankle seemed to be broken and he was unconscious. He had been found underneath some of the heaviest pieces of the wreckage so internal organ damage was a possibility. But so far there was no evidence of that kind of damage. The most obvious of his injuries were broken bones and cuts.

The x-rays were quickly developed. Both physicians confirmed the diagnosis. The President had broken his pelvis, three ribs and an ankle. No apparent internal injuries.

Then they saw more trouble.

A collapsed left lung due to fluid in the chest cavity. One of the fractured ribs had punctured a lung. The doctor quickly inserted a chest tube in the President's left lung to inflate it and blood poured into the container.

"We need to operate right now." The staff scrambled. The President was quickly anesthetized and a sterile field was arranged.

The doctors cut between two ribs and pulled the muscles apart to determine the problem. They saw that the broken rib had punctured an artery as it tore through the lung tissues. They cut the broken part of the rib off and sealed the artery as quickly as they could. But by then, the President had lost a massive amount of blood.

"Blood pressure dropping. Pulse rapid. He needs more fluid."

His vital signs were getting weaker.

"Get some more blood in him. NOW!" Orders were flying everywhere.

The staff hurried to follow their orders. This was a patient with life-threatening injuries as well as their Commander in Chief. They were doing the best they could to keep him alive.

The doctors finally were able to stop the bleeding. His oxygen saturation level began to rise. Hopefully, he would stabilize and could be transported to a better-equipped hospital.

After closing, the anesthesiologist notified the surgeons that the President's vital signs had finally stabilized, but were still below normal. The anesthesiologist stayed right with him, on alert for any further signs of trouble.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Leo, it's been a long time. Have you heard anything?"

"Yeah. I just got word." Leo motioned for Abbey to sit down on his office sofa. "From what I'm told, he's still critical. I don't have a complete list of his injuries, but I'm told that he has a broken pelvis, a collapsed lung from a broken rib, and many cuts and bruises. They performed emergency surgery at a triage unit and, as soon as he's stable enough, he will be airlifted out to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany."

"I'm going."

"Well, I kind of figured that so I'm making arrangements as we speak. Abbey…"

Leo didn't finish his statement. Margaret came flying in the office and yelled at Leo to turn up the volume on the TV.

"What the hell?"

"Just do it Leo."

Leo ran over and turned up the volume.

"Again, we are just learning of the death of President Josiah Bartlet as a result of injuries suffered today in a helicopter crash in Iraq. We do not have confirmation from the White House on this, but our sources in Iraq do confirm the story."

"NO!"

Abbey's piercing scream was heard all over the West Wing. "Leo, you just said he was alive. How can he be dead?" Tears started flooding down Abbey's pale face. She was visibly shaking.

"Abbey. I just talked with the agents on the ground. Let me get them back to confirm again what they have told me."

"He can't be. He can't be. Oh my God! The girls! I need to call them right away."

"Abbey! Let me confirm this. Just wait a second." Leo ran to the phone and pushed a couple of buttons. He talked with someone and then waved Abbey over to the phone. "Abbey, this is the agent that's with the President in Iraq. You need to talk with him."

She looked at Leo with eyes full of fear. Was the agent going to tell her that her husband, her best friend, her lover was dead? But she had to know, one way or the other. Somehow, somewhere she got the courage to find out.

Abbey hesitantly took the phone from Leo. "Yes?"

"Ma'am, this is Agent Smith. I'm here at the triage center and the President is alive. He's critical, but he's alive. We're waiting to be transported to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany."

"Oh my God!" Abbey dropped the phone and collapsed in Leo's chair.

Leo picked up the phone and thanked the agent.

As he hung up, a little color returned to Abbey's face.

"How could the media get it so wrong? The girls? Our families and friends? The American people? How could they report something so terrible and so wrong?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to correct this right now. Margaret! Get me Carol right here, right now!"

In a few minutes, the news channel retracted the story and apologized for reporting unconfirmed information. But it was left up to Abbey to put her daughters back together.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Once the Medivac plane arrived, the three patients were placed on board. It was not on the ground more than thirty minutes.

The President was still intubated and sedated. He had been secured so that he could not move any part of his body, even if he had been awake. The broken pelvis would be fixed in Germany, as well as his ankle.

One of the military doctors, Dr. Holmes from the triage center, accompanied the President on the flight. His personal physician, who accompanied him on the foreign trips, was being flown to Germany, with the rest of the Presidential group that had been waiting in Israel.

CJ had been given pain medicine for her leg, which was splinted for the trip. The extensive surgery she needed would be performed in Germany.

Toby had regained consciousness shortly after being found at the crash site, and was sitting by a groggy CJ, trying to comprehend the significance of the history happening right under his nose.

In the back of the plane, was a bag carrying the body of Ron Butterfield. His injuries were just simply too severe and he'd died shortly after arrival at the triage center. Only the agents and Ron's family had been told of his death. Once they arrived in Germany, then a public announcement would be made by the Department of Homeland Security.

The pilots took off in a steep climb. If a random missile could bring down the President's helicopter, it could certainly bring down an Air Force C-130 medical transport.

Just as the plane cleared the airspace around the airport, the pilots received word that another missile had been launched.

The plane was too heavy for evasive action. However, several jets that were flying coverage launched a counterattack. The planes launched a missile to destroy the one aiming directly for the medical transport.

Both missiles denoted within fifty feet of the medical transport and the blast wave shook the plane.

There was no time for warning the passengers in the back. The two nurses flew across the fuselage. The stretcher holding the President rocked back and forth. The doctor accompanying the sedated and intubated President tried to grab hold of the stretcher before it slipped out of its locked position. He was unsuccessful.

The ventilator tubing disconnected as the stretcher lurched backward. The doctor made a desperate grab for the stretcher just as the rocking stopped. But the tubing had already come disconnected.

As the plane stabilized, both nurses and the doctor quickly grabbed the tubing and reconnected it. All settings were readjusted. Doctor Holmes looked at the oxygen saturation monitor and saw it start to rise. He didn't know how low it had dropped so he was unable to know if the President was without oxygen for any length of time. He could only hope that there had been no damage.

When the President was checked, his pupils were reactive. This was the normal reaction so the doctor didn't think any damage had been done. However, further tests would have to be done in Germany.

In the meantime, Abbey had left for Germany aboard an Air Force jet. She hoped to arrive shortly after the President's plane. During the flight, she would be kept informed of any changes.

Her trip was quiet as she considered what had just occurred and more importantly, what the future might bring.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Mrs. Bartlet, the President has been here for about an hour and he is still being examined by the staff. May I get you something to drink or eat? Would you like to freshen up?"

"Thank you, Lieutenant. I just really want to see my husband. Is there a way I can watch the exam and still be out of the way?"

"Yes, ma'am. Follow me."

Abbey was taken to the ICU where Jed had been placed upon arrival. She quietly entered and stood behind the doctors.

Her first glimpse of Jed led her to unconsciously gasp. Cuts and bruises all over his face and arms, a tube in his throat, and surrounded by wedges to protect his pelvis until it could be fixed.

"Mrs. Bartlet, are you okay?"

It was only then that Abbey realized she must have done it out loud.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm fine. Please continue your exam."

One turned to Abbey and offered her his hand. "Ma'am, I'm Colonel Barnes. I'm the chief of staff here and head of Orthopedics."

"Glad to meet you. Please continue."

"Yes, ma'am."

The doctors continued their assessment.

Suddenly, Abbey overhead a part of the conversation that made her heart sink.

"With the temporary break in oxygen on the flight, we need to order an EEG, which will determine his brain function status."

"What happened?" Abbey was terrified with what they were describing.

Dr. Barnes turned in shock. He thought they had been talking below her hearing level.

"Ma'am, he experienced a temporary loss of oxygen when the President's plane was attacked on takeoff from Baghdad. Although his pupils are reactive, we would like to do further testing just to make sure there's nothing wrong."

"Okay. When will the results be in?"

"In a few hours."

"Okay. Just keep me informed." Her anxiety over Jed's condition just multiplied ten fold.

"Yes, ma'am."

After completion of their exam, Dr. Barnes turned to Abbey. "Would you like to sit down while I tell you what we've found?"

He pointed to a chair by Jed's bed and she gratefully sat down. The stress and flight was beginning to take its toll.

"As you've been told, the President has a broken pelvis and a shattered ankle, sustained in the crash. The doctors in Iraq operated on him in an emergency situation and repaired a punctured artery in his lung. He still has the chest tube in that they inserted during that process. He's stable but weak, so we don't want to operate on him quite yet. We think it's best if he rests for another eight hours or so and then, when he's stronger, operate to fix the broken bones. We'll keep him on the ventilator so he won't have to expend his energy breathing. We are also giving him IV steroids to try and minimize any relapse of his MS."

Abbey was looking at Jed during the whole conversation. Now, she looked at Dr. Barnes. "Thank you. I heard what the doctors did in Iraq and I'm very grateful. And I know he will receive the best of care here. You do what you think is best. Right now, I'm not a doctor, just a very worried wife."

"Yes, ma'am. I understand." Dr. Barnes turned and left. He had another patient in the Presidential party to assess and treat.

After the doctors left, Abbey touched Jed's arm. Although covered in bruises and small burns, she had to connect with him in some way. She was grateful that he was warm. That meant his body was functioning like it should.

Over the next eight hours Abbey only got up to stretch her legs and to eat. She was determined to stay awake and by Jed's side until the surgery started.

"You're going to be okay." Abbey couldn't help but talk to him. She had to give him the strength to fight. "You have to be okay."

Toby had come in to see the President, and to tell Abbey that CJ's surgery had gone well and she was resting comfortably. He didn't stay long because he felt like he was taking private time away from the President and his wife.

At some point, Abbey drifted off to sleep. She was so exhausted that her body gave out. She woke when someone was shaking her and calling her name.

"Mrs. Bartlet, it's time for the President to go into surgery."

Abbey opened her eyes and realized that it was late afternoon, Germany time. She stood up and backed away from the bed as they got ready to move the President's bed to the operating room. "Can I say goodbye?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She stepped to Jed's head. She placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, wiped the lipstick off with her thumb, and whispered in his ear.

"Come back to me, Jed. I love you and need you. Besides, you promised you would be back in time for our anniversary." Tears were forming in Abbey's eyes, but she refused to give in to them.

She then stepped away and let the nurses take him. But she knew he would be back. He had said he would be back. And she was going to hold him to that.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

While Jed was in surgery, Abbey took a shower and changed her clothes.

Everybody had urged her to get some sleep while she could, but she had to know Jed was going to be okay.

She telephoned Leo with updated information and asked him to please call the girls. They would be listening to the news, but she wanted them to be personally kept up to date.

Four long hours later, Dr. Barnes appeared in the room that had been set aside for her.

"The President is doing well. We put pins in his ankle and that will take a while to heal. His pelvis wasn't as bad as we initially thought. We inserted a plate and some screws. His recovery will be long, but I feel sure he will not have any problems with the fractures.

"But the problem was the blood loss. We had to give him two more units during surgery, but his current vital signs are strong. We're worried about infection, but will give him antibiotics to hopefully stop that from occurring. And we are very relieved to know that his EEG was normal. There's been no brain damage from that temporary interruption in his oxygen supply."

Abbey had only one thought on her mind. "May I see him?"

"Not yet. We're keeping him in the Recovery Room until we're sure his vital signs will remain stable. Why don't you rest for a while and someone will come and get you when he's transferred back to ICU?"

Abbey was so tired she didn't fight Dr. Barnes' suggestion. After he left, she made a quick call to Leo, and then lay down. She fell asleep instantly.

Abbey awoke with a start. What time was it? How long had she been asleep? She looked at her watch and realized that she had been asleep for eight hours. Why hadn't anyone come to get her?

She went directly to ICU.

An agent was standing outside so she knew Jed must be in there.

She pushed the doors open and immediately saw her husband. No breathing tube. A cast was on his ankle and he still had the wedges around him so he couldn't move his pelvis. He also still had the chest tube and a morphine drip for pain. Although pale, he looked beautiful to her.

Abbey walked over to the bed and lightly touched his arm. Jed opened his eyes to see who was doing the touching. A weak smile appeared on his face as he realized who was standing there.

"Abbey." He closed his eyes, too weak to look at her.

"Yeah babe. I'm here. Don't try and talk. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

"What happened?"

"A missile shot down your helicopter in Iraq and they transferred you to Germany."

"Who else?"

Abbey knew that she had to be the one to break the sad news. "CJ broke her leg, but she's going to be okay. Toby suffered a mild concussion, but he's already back to his ornery self. And Ron,…" Abbey paused while she tried to control her emotions.

"Jed, Ron didn't survive. His injuries were so severe that he couldn't be saved." Abbey knew this was going to tear Jed apart. Ron had become almost a member of the family over past few years and it had devastated Abbey to hear the news about his death.

Tears started to flow down the side of the President's face. Between fatigue, pain, and emotion, Jed couldn't hold them back.

"I know how you feel, Jed. But he died doing his job. He died protecting you. When the two of you were finally located, he had covered you with his body. The investigators think he was sheltering you from the fire."

Opening his eyes, Jed just looked at Abbey. She leaned in to hug him and they both had a good cry.

"I want to write a note to his widow. Can you write it for me?"

"Why don't we wait until tomorrow, when you're a little stronger?"

"Okay. Ron meant a lot to me, to us and I want his wife to know just how much. He served his country well."

Jed just looked into his wife's eyes until his eyes got so heavy he had to close them.

"That's right, Jed. Just rest. It's the best thing for you."

After a gentle kiss, Abbey sat down by his bed and allowed herself to cry.

But this crying was from relief.

Relief that Jed had come back to her.

He had kept his promise.


	10. Chapter 10

Epilogue:

_Dear Mrs. Butterfield, _

_Abbey and I want to share with you our deepest sympathies in the death of your husband. Ron was more than just the head of my security detail. Over the years, he became a friend, almost a brother. There have been times that he and I haven't exactly seen eye to eye on matters relating to my and my family's security, but he's always tried to protect us without interfering in our lives. He was always the consummate professional and gave his life maintaining that reputation. Ron will be deeply missed by not only the Secret Service, but our family as well. _

_We hope this note is of some comfort to you. Abbey and I simply wished for you to know how much we admired your husband and have appreciated everything he's done. Be proud to know that he served his country well._

_Sincerely, _

**Jed and Abbey Bartlet**

THE END


End file.
